Oh Bubsy. Bubsy the freaking Bobcat. Why are you a thing? Why are we still talking about you, nonstop, to this very day? Are we still facing the consequences of that one JonTron video from a decade and a half ago? Is this the reason this silly failed mascot is still somewhat known by gamers? After the release of two failed revivals a few years ago, I thought we had actually seen the last of the Bubsy franchise, but with Atari now owning the IP, we are not only getting a brand new Bubsy game further down the line, but every previously released outing released in the 90s has now been remastered and re-released in a brand new compilation, Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection. Hooray?

I guess I still have to say “hooray”. I’m all for gaming preservation, and I’d be a hypocrite if I said I wasn’t okay with bad games being re-released as well. I can’t say there is a single redeeming title in this collection, and I’m going to explain further in the following paragraphs, but I’m glad this “labor of love” exists. For better or worse, we can finally play all previous Bubsy games, and use them as a cautionary tale of sorts. How to not develop a 2D and a 3D platformer.

The first two games in the franchise, Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind and the less creatively-named (thank goodness) Bubsy II, are bonafide examples of utterly mediocre mascot platformers from back in the day. The advent of Sonic the Hedgehog proved that someone else other than Nintendo was able to make a buck with a mascot platformer, and Bubsy was one of these attempts. In my opinion, a failed one, but the first game sold well enough to warrant the development of a sequel, which is (marginally) better than it.

Both games feature atrocious physics, nonsensical level design, and poor camera placement. Bubsy is too close to the camera, meaning you rarely have time and space to react to a death trap or an enemy showing up in front of you. Back in the 90s, that clearly meant you’d lose a life, but thankfully, Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection features a rewind system. Unlike in other retro compilations, I feel like this rewind feature acts more as a correction of the games’ poor design than a player mistake, but I digress. These two games are still, oddly enough, the best titles in this collection, and you can choose between the Mega Drive and SNES ports of each. Regarding the first game, you can even play a Japanese port, which actually has Bubsy-san speaking his one-liners in Japanese.

Before we tackle the real “star” of the show, there are two other titles worth mentioning, not because they are good, but because they are lesser known entries in the franchise. The Game Boy port of Bubsy II is, without any hyperbole, one of the worst games I have ever played in my life. It’s nonsensically ugly, sounds awful, and it manages to run at a framerate so low, I can probably count the frames onscreen. Do you really want to know how bad this game is? Its own in-collection description states you should skip it. I wish I was joking, but I’m not. It’s just that rancid.

The other “novelty” entry is Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales, which is unique as it was actually an Atari Jaguar exclusive back in the day. Remember the Jaguar? Atari’s “64-bit” answer to the SNES, 3DO and Mega Drive? Well, Fractured Furry Tales showcases that system’s graphical capabilities by actually looking as bad, if not worse, than its 16-bit counterparts. That being said, it probably features the most creative art direction of all Bubsy games. It is not exactly a high bar, but hey, the levels don’t look like three surrealist paintings meshed together at least. When it comes to Bubsy games, you gotta accept any kind of praise you can get, no matter how insignificant.

Finally, let’s talk about the big one. The protagonist of this entire collection. If there’s a reason people will even consider purchasing Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection, said reason will be the inclusion of the utterly infamous Bubsy 3D, a game everybody considers to be one of the worst of all time, even though they had never played it. We just take it for granted. But I have now had the chance of experiencing Bubsy 3D for myself, and I can attest that… dear lord, it’s even worse than I could have ever imagined.

It’s not just bad. It’s incomprehensibly atrocious. The whole “playing a 3D platformer with tank controls” point of criticism we have been shouting for the past 29 years is just the icing on top of a cake made out of unadulterated bobcat excrement. It’s hideous to look at. The level design makes absolutely no sense, and the draw distance makes the original port of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for the Nintendo 64 look like an image taken by the Hubble Telescope in comparison. Not to mention the sheer amount of crap uttered by Bubsy every five seconds. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you appreciate the one-liners in Gex in retrospect. Without a doubt, one of the worst gaming experiences I’ve ever had… and as previously mentioned, it’s not even the worst title in this package. The Game Boy version of Bubsy II is.

Now, I have to give the team at Limited Run Games some credit, as they were aware of how terrible the original controls for Bubsy 3D were. There is actually a remastered port of Bubsy 3D included in this package, which not only adds a 16:9 aspect ratio, but a brand new control scheme. If you decide to play this “Refurbished Edition“, you’ll be greeted by actual analog controls, and free camera movement with the right analog stick. Sadly, this doesn’t fix the insane amount of button input delay, or the truly atrocious level design. As a result, they might have been able to slightly polish Bubsy 3D up, but it’s still a polished turd.

There is one thing I need to commend about Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection, however. The games included in the collection are terrible, but this isn’t a half-baked compilation when it comes to extras. Everything you’d ever want from a love letter to Bubsy‘s legacy is included in a bonus section, from a sound test mode to video clips and interviews. The developers were even able to include the infamous 1993 Bubsy television pilot in its entirety. Because yes, people tried to turn Bubsy into a multimedia juggernaut back in the 90s. What the hell was wrong with humanity back then…

As previously mentioned, I’m glad that Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection exists, but only as a means to preserve a handful of (in)famous games for posterity, and not because the content included in it is actually worth bothering. Not a single title in this collection is worth your time, not even for an ironic playthrough, but hey, further generations now have access to titles like Bubsy II for the Game Boy and Bubsy 3D. They can be alerted as to what a truly heinous mascot platformer is. If you’re really craving for some retro platforming with a B-tier mascot spouting one-liners at all times (quite a specific craving, but I bet there’s at least three people out there asking for such), just grab the Gex Trilogy collection instead.

Bubsy and Bubsy 2 (35%) : 4.5 Two utterly mediocre 2D platformers with infuriating controls and poor level design. At the very least, I appreciate the inclusion of all versions of those games, including a Japanese port of the SNES original. With Bubsy speaking in Japanese, no less…	Bubsy 3D (35%) : 2.5 An insult to gaming that has finally been preserved to posterity. The original version, with tank controls, is nigh impossible to withstand. The “refurbished” remaster is less egregious, but still a pretty bad game.
The Game Boy and Jaguar games (20%) : 4.0 The Jaguar game is as mediocre as one can be, but it probably features the most creative art direction of all Bubsy games. The Game Boy port of Bubsy II manages to be worse than the original Bubsy 3D. I said what I said.	Extras (10%) : 8.5 The inclusion of interviews, concept art, music players, and even the 90s Bubsy cartoon pilot, are all very welcoming. The games in the collection are terrible, but you can’t say the addition of extras felt half-baked.
Final Verdict: 4.0

Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC and Switch.

Reviewed on Switch.